Should we rent or continue boarding?

[Mominis]

We have been boarding our horses out since April as we live in a small residental neighborhood with no land. Recently, we came across two facilities for lease and are giving some thought to renting one of them. If we were to do that, we would take on boarded horses to offset the cost difference between boarding ours out and the rent on the farm.

I am just trying to decide how feasible it is to do ths. The cost of boarding out is really getting to us in terms of what we are paying and what we are getting out of it. Also, as I'm sure you know, even the best of boarding facilities just don't provide the care that a person can provide for their own horses. There's always something that isn't 'right.' Don't get me wrong, I do love the people that we keep the horses with.

There are two facilities we are lookng at. One is a four stall barn with 15 acres, a place for a round pen (but no panels), and a 30x30 pen right by the barn it is $40 more per month in rent than we are currently paying for board. The second is an 8 stall barn with an outdoor arena, round pen, and wash bay. It is slightly more expensive than the first place, it is $240 per month more than we are currently payng for board. This place comes with the option to also rent paddocks and some pastre for additional money. We have appointments to see both on Wednesday. When I say 'currently paying for board', I mean for the space rental. We are mucking our own, providing our own feed and hay, feeding the noon feeding, watering and cleaning our own buckets, and doing our own turnouts, we also have to provide our own shavings occasionally when the barn's pile gets low. We have two stalls at the boarding facility we are now in.

I am prepared to run a boarding stable from the standpoint of having the horse knowldege to do it, but I sure don't have much in the way of business smarts. So, business minds, please help me trouble shoot this and figure out how to determine if this is a viable venture or if we should just continue boarding out.

 

[MountainMeadows]

Mimi

If you are going to act as a "landlord" of sorts and bring in boarders you will need insurance to cover yourself for just about any weird thing that someone could possibly come up with - it is spendy -- check it out and add it to the cost of doing business and see if it still pencils out in your favor.

You will also need to consider that as a "landlord" for others, that you will likely be called upon to be there pretty close to 24/7 to make sure that all the horses in your barn are OK -- that is a huge committment and one that you may not be able to accomodate.

It is those little details, and many more, that are often overlooked when we look into boarding our horses

Stacy

 

[Ashley]

When I moved out my ex was considering boarding some horses to help make bills. MIne are still there so I told her no until I can place my last 3 or find a place to board them. LIke I explained to her, that hassel of what needs to be done and the responsibility of anothers horses and humans when they are there just isnt worth it. Not to mention my naughty yearling keeps taking down the fence, going to the neighbors and crapping on their front door step, personally I think she knows they do not like the horses. Never bothers the ones that dont mind them.

Anyway, I would really really way the good and bad of this. If the cheaper place is decent I would go with that one. $40 is that much more to come up with a month, and you wouldnt have to worry about the headaches of another person and their horses.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Does anyone live at/on this property you are checking out?

Is there a separate meter for electric, well pump, etc?

How far is the facility from where you currently live?

Is the pasture area properly fenced, in good repair?

Are you to be responsible for cutting the pastures when/as needed?

These are things that need to be considered for your own time/cost & hired hands to do, if needed....or equipment, etc. They are most definately more expenses to consider. Insurance, as previously mentioned, a MUST.

The smaller facility would certainly be less overall expense, and probably two boarders could make up much of the difference, you need to write all these down and add them up. Boarders never really consider these "little" things, or many the others have mentioned.

But, these are some of the financial and time obligations you will have as a stable operator.

Consider carefully.

 

[Mominis]

Thanks for that, guys. I have contacted an insurance agent for a quote. You guys have given me a good list of questions to add to my list when we go see the places tomorrow. If you can think of anything else, please mention them here. I have a fairly long list of questions to ask and things to look at already, but any ideas that you have are welcomed.

 

[AppyLover2]

You might want to consider the possible problems that might arise since you won't be living where your (and possibly someone elses) horses are. There are some very irresponsible people out there including some who board their horses; ie coming to see them at all hours; not closing gates or leaving feed room door open, etc.. Of course there are some, like yourself, who are willing to take care of a lot of the care that goes into their own horse. Guess I'm just thinking what I've always thought.....no way would I want the responsibility or inconvenience of taking care of someone else's horses.

 

[Mominis]

Well, the smaller of the two places is out. He sent me that address and it is almost 40 minutes away from home. There is no way I could get there in time, should an emergency come up. So, that just leaves the 8 stall. We shall see.

 

[bevann]

Well, the smaller of the two places is out. He sent me that address and it is almost 40 minutes away from home. There is no way I could get there in time, should an emergency come up. So, that just leaves the 8 stall. We shall see.

How far away are you from the facility?If no one lives there what will you do if an emergency arises(and we all know how horses are)and what if there is LOTS of snow and roads become impassible?Last winter we had 60 inches of snow in 5 days and couldn't even get to our barm which is only a few hundred feet from the house?Boarding is a big responsibility.I took in 1 big horse to board in exchange for some help.She buys all feed, etc.Last winter in the snow it was a problem since all my stalls were little ones.Now we had to build him a big stall in the barm before winter.If you decide to do it get EVERYTHING in writing and protect yourself.Writing a check for someone else to care for a horse is the easy part-responsibility is not so easy.Good luck-hopes it works out for you.

 

[~Lisa~]

Hate to be a downer here but I would never take on the responsibility of someone elses horse when I am not currently living on the same property as the horses are. I think you are opening yourself up to a world of drama.

 

[Marty]

The very first thing I would do before any other thing would be to contact the owner of the property and advise him that you are planing to board horses on his land. He may or may not approve of this plan and since an income will arise from this, he may increase the amount of the least contract. Then take it from there, slowly, carefully and with a whole lot of insurance.

You can also check with your local banks for foreclosures that have a home included on a couple of acres and that way you would be making some equity in the long run.

 

[LittleRibbie]

I think you made the right choice by choosing against the smaller facility...45min away is a hike.

If you were to take in 1 or 2 boarders at the larger facility I would really do it only if you lived on the property. I personally would never board a horse where there isnt someone living there.Its just too much of a risk IMO.

Having boarders in a barn, you now would only be renting, may even cost you more money if you have to consider insurance,simple repairs (fences,stalls,electric etc)mowing fields,lawns,snow plows...not to mention the person that cant afford their hay/feed board that month....I doubt you would let ANY horse go hungry.Personally I would not want the responsibility....Im too much of a worry wart.

Sorry to sound so negative but you,in another post, mentioned that you are starting with a new job ( correct me if I'm wrong ) Murphy's law...when things go wrong ( most likely not even with one of your horses ).....it will be when your up to your eyeballs in your work and cant even get a day off...drats!!

O.K. Im off my silly box....I say...you did great with Shake at your first Nationals...stay at the barn your at...keep looking and maybe find a little 2 stall barn closer to home or rent a home with just a smaller barn.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

P.S> plus your hubby would have to go into most new barns and redo all the doors again so Shake can see!!

 

[Mominis]

We have decided that the other facility is too far away too. It has a home on the property and the woman that lives there is the leasor's former trainer. However, I just can't be that far away from the horses. Oh well, it was a nice thought. Thanks for all of the suggestions, but for now it looks like we are staying where we are.

 

[targetsmom]

I didn't read all the responses so don't know if this was covered already. Be sure that if you rent a place that the zoning will allow you to run it as a boarding establishment. We just had a case down the road from us where the neighbors complained and the place had to close and had one month to move all the horses. The OWNER could offer boarding but not the lessee. So it wouldn't hurt to talk to the neighbors either.

Have you considered buying a place and moving yourselves and the horses???

 

[Mominis]

Oh yes, we have considered it, we dream about it every day. It will happen, just later down the road. Thanks, Target.

 

[LindaL]

Mimi...As others have mentioned, there is more to "just the rent" on the place to consider and as you have found out, the places for rent may be too far from where you are living (and personally I would never rent a place where no one was living, especially myself if you plan on boarding others horses there).

How about renting a place with a house/barn for you and your horses?? That is what Deb and I are doing (for now). It is a bit more espensive then it was for us to rent a house and board our horses elsewhere, but the benefits are worth it!!

 

[Jill]

Have you had horses very long? It was years before I "dared" take charge of my own. I just had to get my head around everything horse related before I felt comfortable being THE one to decide all things about the care of my horses. Plus, of course, there are some differences when it comes to caring for minis vs. biggies.

There's so much potential for real and emotional liability, too, if you are considering taking in other people's horses. I know a lot of times the "owner" of the stable gets stuck when a horse is sick, etc., and horse owners "can't" come out. It can be a really draining experience.

I'm absolutely a business minded person. I have owned a financial planning / money management practice for about 15 years. Let me tell you, I'm the best investment my horses ever made

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

 

[wildoak]

Hate to be a downer here but I would never take on the responsibility of someone elses horse when I am not currently living on the same property as the horses are. I think you are opening yourself up to a world of drama.

Lisa took the words right out of my mouth LOL. I've kept from one to three or four boarders for many years now, first big horses and now minis. Just enough to help with the feed bill and give me some company in the barn.

I can't imagine not being on site all the time with other peoples' horses, too much responsibility and too many things can happen. Small things like a gate not being latched or a horse beginning to colic can turn into a disaster if no one is around to see it in time.

Jan